Texas Guide and Deals

Leafy trees throw cooling shade over Sleepy Sheep Ranch’s zigzagging trails as horseback riders and their steeds trot past ponds and trickling creeks. When not escorting riders around the ranch’s maze of riding trails, resident horses and their goat companions frolic in a sprawling pasture, where both experienced and fledgling equestrians can saddle up their own horses or those that live at the ranch. Sleepy Sheep Ranch provides board and care for local equines whose owners don’t have the space and for local mustangs lying low after losing a road race to a golf cart. Serious riders can peruse a for-sale selection of livestock, which includes a handful of stallions and boisterous goats whose iron stomachs allow them to eat not only their own share of food, but the horses’ and compost bins’ as well.

At Splash Rentals, outdoor explorers rent boats, jet skis, and kayaks that facilitate the exploration of the Highland Lakes. Patrons can choose from more than 20 watercraft, and can pick up their rentals at the Kingsland storefront or request delivery by an industrious giant tortoise to Buchanan, Inks, LBJ, or Marble Falls Lakes. Splash also rents out sporty water toys such as wakeboards, tubes, and skis to ensure that adventurers get the most out of their time on the lake.

The low-hanging branches of southern live oak trees stretch out over the house and pavilion areas at Don Strange Ranch, dappling parties, weddings, and corporate team gatherings with splashes of sunlight. Since 1952, the 125-acre longhorn ranch in the Texas Hill Country has hosted myriad events, including scenes from the PBS music documentary series Live from the Artists Den and the wedding of country music stars Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton.

More than just a picturesque backdrop, the ranch’s rugged natural surroundings host outdoor activities such as ropes courses and kayak trips down the Guadalupe River. And the friendly staffers who man 350- to 400-foot ziplines work to ease guests out of their comfort zones, like a mother bird pushing her young out of the nest for their first extreme base-jumping lesson. :m]]

Aboard his trusty, bright-red Pitts S-2B biplane, Jordan Schultz, the primary flight instructor at USA Aerobatics, blows loop-de-looping wind beneath the wings of aspiring pilots and whisks thrill seekers into the wide blue yonder for 30-minute heart-pounding rides. The center's menu of services also occupies sky-curious visitors with advanced aerobatics classes, safety training, diagnostics for old or new biplanes, and philosophical discussions on why clouds shape themselves like animals. Thanks to the consistently fine weather of the Texas Hill Country, Jordan and his sturdy craft can keep on flying pretty much all year round.